Richard Allen MacBay was arrested Friday. Hillsborough County authorities said the 36-year-old MacBay worked at the Busch Gardens theme park and turned in 97 pounds of brass plates to a scrap metal yard. The plates were worth $1,100.

Officials said the plates were used as rollercoaster brake pads. In a statement, Busch Gardens said the parts were out of service and the safety of the park's visitors was never at risk.

Park officials said MacBay had been a "rides tech" since 2009.

MacBay was booked into the Hillsborough County jail and released Sunday on bond. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

__________________Jason

And here's the little Skipper now. Oh Shut up Scruffy you're not burned, you just have a healthy glow.

It's sad but this is happening all over now. Copper is worth a lot of money so will people will constantly steal it to make some extra bucks. It happens a lot down here but with air conditioners. People strip them down in the middle of the night getting whatever copper and other scrap metal they can out of them.

__________________Jason

And here's the little Skipper now. Oh Shut up Scruffy you're not burned, you just have a healthy glow.